Blog

27 November 2014Making your pool as energy efficient as possible

Having an energy efficient or ‘green’ pool is important for a variety of reasons, above all because it helps to save you money, sometimes a significant amount. Going ‘green’ also reduces energy waste and helps to preserve water. Fortunately, energy efficiency isn’t a difficult goal to reach. With the right kind of maintenance and a couple of pieces of optimised equipment, you can dramatically lower the environmental impact of your pool, and reduce running costs in the process!

Good site
If you’re thinking about installing a pool and haven’t yet done so, take a step back to consider energy efficiency as well as aesthetics when choosing the site for your pool. For outdoor pools, always ensure that the pool is located where it can receive the maximum amount of sunlight during the daytime. This will help to keep the pool heated without relying so much on your heating equipment. Solar is the cheapest type of energy, so use it as much as you can. In addition to this, the wind can lower the temperature of your pool water, so installing a wind-breaking structure such as a fence may be useful for keeping the pool warm.

Energy efficient pool covers
Consider buying a solar blanket (also known as a solar pool cover) to retain the heat from the sun and also prevent the evaporation of water from heat loss. Pool water tends to get colder overnight, and while a regular cover will mitigate this, a solar blanket is far more effective at doing so. Research indicates that as much as 70% of swimming pool heating costs can be saved by utilising a solar blanket. In addition to the energy savings, solar blankets retain the same functionality as regular covers in maintaining the chemical composition of the water and keeping out debris.

Energy efficient pumps
By using a smaller, more energy-efficient pump and running it less frequently, significant energy savings can be made. Next to the pool’s heating and ventilation system, the pool pump is the biggest energy consumer, so choose wisely. The new generation of eco-pumps can be run at variable speed, allows the pumps to run at a lower speed when the pool is not being used.

Maintenance
Switching off non-essential lights when the pool is not in use is not only energy-saving but cost-effective as is switching to energy-efficient lighting such as LED or energy saving bulbs. Turning down the pool heater when the pool is not in use is also an important energy-saving measure. Do clean the pool’s filter, and remove waste from the strainer baskets and skimmer as and when required, so that water can flow freely and your pool equipment can function optimally. These are all good measures to conserve energy.

At London Swimming Pool Company we specialise in swimming pool design, construction and refurbishment, so if you need advice on a brand new pool, contact us for an initial discussion – there’s no substitute for expert advice.